Holding means for folding chairs



I Dec; 5, 1939. E. w. CVOBLE 2,182,516

HOLDING MEANS FOR FOLDING CHAIRS Filed March 3, 1937 z ul \AQQML B ATTORNEYJ.

INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE,

2,182,515 HOLDING MEANS FOR tnt tnmcr oiiAms Earl W. Coble, nurton, Ohio v Application March 3, 1937, Serial No. 128,828 2 Claims. (0151555117) My invention consists of means for incorporation in-folding chairs, particularly of the kind known as deck or lawn chairs, for preventing accidental partial or complete collapse thereof, which heretofore has been a very common fault in chairs of this class resulting in consequences of varying degrees of seriousness.

The fundamental purpose of the invention is to provide simple and inexpensive means de- I signed for convenient incorporation in a folding chair of standard construction without change, that serves to positively hold the interengaged relatively adjustable parts of the chair together, and that preferably automatically becomes effective when the chair is unfolded and placed in condition for use, and likewise becomes ineffective when the chair is tilted to another position in the act of folding it.

Another object of the invention is the production of a device of the character set forth so constructed as to facilitate its application to folding chairs after the chairs have been assembled, thereby adapting it as an attachment for chairs already in use.

Other objects of a more specific nature will appear as I proceed to describe the invention in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a folding chair incorporating the invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the holding means or device; Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of a part of the chair showing the device in effective position; Fig. 4 is a plan view of what is shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the parts as viewed from the right of Fig. 3.

The folding chair in which I have shown my invention incorporated is of a well known type wherein the back I, comprising frame members la and a part of the flexible back and seat member lb, is adapted to be sustained in the desired position of adjustment by a strut member 2 including side pieces 2a pivoted at their upper ends to the frame members la and connected at their lower ends by a cross bar 3 that is adapted to be engaged in notches 4 in the top edges of the inclined side rails 5a of the supporting member 5 of the chair. The side rails 5a are connected together and spaced apart by cross bars 6.

Slidable on each rail 5a of the supporting member of the chair is a holding device that is designated generally by the reference numeral It. While I'have shown one of these devices mounted on each of the side rails of the supporting member, it will be evident that only one of the devices may be employed without sacrifice of much of the eifectiveness of the invention. The device consists of a rectangular boxlike or sleeve-like casing made up of identical reversely arranged side plates II and I2 having end walls 13 and M, respectively, that are at right angles to theirbody portions, the edges of said end walls remote from said portions being provided with the respective flanges I5 and I6.

With the parts fitted together, as shown, the

flange It is connected to the adjacent end of the plate H by a fastening means I1, while the 15 flange I5 is connected to the adjacent end of the plate l2 by fastening means Hi. If the completed device is to be applied to a rail 5a before the opposed rails of the supporting member of the chair are secured together bythe cross bars 6, as when the device is to be incorporated in the chair during the process of assembly, or if,

in the factory, the device is assembled about a rail So after the chair is built, both fastening means ll and [8 may consist of rivets; but where the device is intended to be sold as an attachment for chairs already in use I prefer thatfa removable bolt or bolts be used as one or both of the fastening means. By this arrangement, with only one of the fastening means in place, the side plates may be separated sufiiciently to engage the device over the rail of the chair after which the bolt may be used to draw the separated ends of the plates together and hold them.

Each device If] includes a finger 20 which, in the present embodiment, consists of a rod whose parallel ends are offset with respect to each other, one of such ends, designated 2|, forming a base that is welded or otherwise secured to the wall portion 54 of the plate I2. The finger projects beyond the end of the device where it is in a position to overhang the bar 3 of the strut member 2 of the chair when the device is contiguous to said bar. 7

It is desirable that each device [0 be loose enough on the rail 5a to slide by gravity. Consequently, when the chair is placed in condition for use by the engagement of the bar 3 of the strut member with the appropriate notches 4 of the side rails 5a of the supporting member, the devices It slide down the inclined rails to effective position, as shown in the drawing. In case the inclination of the supporting member is not steep enough to cause the devices to coast downwardly and lodge against the bar 3, the front of the chair may be elevated until such efiect is realized; and then when it is desired to fold the chair, the back of the chair may be tipped forwardly until the supporting member is inclined in a reverse direction enough to cause the devices to automatically withdraw from efiective position when the strut member may be disengaged from the supporting member and the parts folded into compact condition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device for use with folding chairs of the class described, the same comprising a box-like casing constructed of identical side plates assembled in opposed relation to each other, each plate including an end wall that is at substantially right angles to the body portion of the plate,

and a flange extending at substantially right angles from the edge of the end wall remote from the body portion in a direction opposite that of said body portion, fastening means connecting the. flange of the end wall of each side plate to the end of the other side plate, and a. finger having one of its ends secured to the end wall of one of the side plates and its other end offset outwardly from the plane of said wall and extended beyond one edge thereof.

2. A device for use with folding chairs of the class described, the same comprising a box-like casing constructed of identical side plates assembled in opposed relation to each other, each plate including an end wall that is at substantially right angles to the body portion of the plate, and a flange extending at substantiallyright angles from the edge of the end Wall remote from the body portion in a direction opposite that of said body portion, fastening means permanently connecting together the flange of the end wall of one plate to the end of the other plate, fastening means separably connecting the flange of the end wall of the latter plate to the end of the end thereof. EARL W. COBLE. 

